Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

"Let's go," I turned to look at Hanchuan, with a determined light in my eyes, "We still have a lot to do..."

Suddenly, my eyes fell on a plant among the flowers. It had a strange shape and the color of its flowers was also unique. I had never seen such a variety before.

"What is this?" I asked puzzledly, pointing at the plant.

Hanchuan also followed my gaze and frowned slightly, "I don't recognize it either. Is it a new species?"

An inexplicable excitement surged in my heart, and I walked quickly forward to carefully observe this peculiar plant. Its leaves are heart-shaped, with fine serrations on the edges, and its flowers are lavender, with layers of petals, exuding a faint fragrance.

"Lin Xiao, come and take a look, what kind of species is this?" I shouted to Lin Xiao who was recording data not far away.

Lin Xiao rushed over after hearing the noise, and was also surprised when he saw the plant. "What a special flower, I don't think I've seen it before."

The three of us studied the plant for a long time, but we still couldn't determine its species. Finally, Lin Xiao suggested taking it back to the research center to check the information before making a decision.

After the establishment of the research center, Hanchuan and I led the team to conduct in-depth research on flower planting technology and achieved a series of important results. We introduced new varieties, improved planting techniques, and increased flower production and quality, and the benefits of the base are booming.

One day, Lin Xiao ran excitedly to my and Hanchuan's office, "Sister Jinli, Brother Hanchuan, I found it! I found the information about this flower!"

She held a thick botanical illustration book in her hand, pointed to a page, and said excitedly: "It's called purple magnolia, a very precious flower. It is said to have high medicinal value and can cure many difficult and complicated diseases!"

"Really?" Hanchuan and I asked in unison.

Lin Xiao nodded, "It's absolutely true! But..." Her tone suddenly became heavy, "The book says that purple magnolia is extremely difficult to grow, has very demanding environmental requirements, and is very easy to be infected by a special disease and insect pest, so..."

"So almost no one can successfully grow purple magnolias now, right?" I said.

Lin Xiao nodded, worry written all over his face.

Hanchuan and I looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

"Let's try!" I said firmly, "Since the purple magnolia has such high value, we should try to grow it. If we succeed, it will not only bring huge economic benefits to the base, but also benefit more people!"

Hanchuan held my hand and said firmly: "Yes, let's work together!"

However, we didn't know what a thorny road was waiting for us...

The preciousness and difficulty of growing purple magnolia aroused the desire of Hanchuan and I to challenge. We were determined to overcome this problem.

We immediately got to work, collecting the best soil from the research center and trying to prepare the most suitable fertilizer for the growth of purple magnolia according to the records in the illustrations. However, reality gave us a blow. The first batch of transplanted purple magnolia seedlings began to wither after only three days, and the originally green leaves turned scorched yellow and lifeless.

"How could this happen?" Lin Xiao stamped his feet anxiously as he looked at the seedlings that were withering in the greenhouse.

Hanchuan and I were also extremely anxious. We spent every day in the greenhouse observing and recording, looking up various materials, trying to find the cause. The pH of the soil, the ratio of fertilizers, the duration of light... We adjusted and tried again and again, but the results were always unsatisfactory.

"Did we make a mistake somewhere?" Lin Xiao felt discouraged after repeated failures.

"Don't be discouraged, let's think about it carefully, there must be something we haven't noticed." I patted Lin Xiao's shoulder to cheer her up and myself up. Although Han Chuan didn't say anything, I knew that the pressure in his heart was no less than ours.

We carefully checked all possible problems and even went to the provincial agricultural university to consult a botany expert. However, the answer given by the expert made us even more confused - from our records and descriptions, we did not find any problems and all the steps were correct.

"Is it a problem with the variety of the purple magnolia itself?" I couldn't help but start to doubt.

"Impossible!" Hanchuan denied my guess. "Although the purple magnolia is rare, it is not a new species. There are many records about it in history, which shows that it does exist and can be cultivated artificially."

Just when we were at our wits' end, an anonymous letter sent to the base broke the deadlock...

I opened the unsigned letter, and there was only one sentence on the letter paper: "If you want the purple magnolia to bloom, come to the old gardening field on the outskirts of the city."

Hanchuan and I looked at each other, and a glimmer of hope ignited in our hearts. Could it be some hidden master? We immediately drove to the old gardening farm on the outskirts of the city.

In the dilapidated garden, a gray-haired old man was pruning flower branches. When he saw us, he put down the scissors in his hand, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"Are you here for the purple magnolia?" the old man asked straight to the point.

I nodded and asked respectfully, "Excuse me, who are you..."

"I'm Lao Li. I worked here before I retired." Lao Li pointed in the direction of the greenhouse. "Follow me."

Walking into the greenhouse, a refreshing fragrance hit my nose. What shocked me was that the greenhouse was actually full of purple magnolias of various colors, with clusters of flowers, beautiful beyond words.

"This..." I was so surprised that I was speechless.

"The key to growing purple magnolia is soil and water control," said Lao Li, pointing to the soil in the flowerpot. "This flower has very high requirements for soil. Ordinary soil can't support it at all."

Old Li patiently imparted his experience to us, from soil selection to watering frequency, no matter how big or small, as if he wanted to teach us everything he had learned in his life. Hanchuan and I listened carefully and kept every word of Old Li in mind.

After returning to the base, we immediately followed Lao Li's method to improve the soil and adjust the humidity and temperature of the greenhouse. At the same time, we also contacted a botanical expert whom we met at the Agricultural University. Under his guidance, we regulated the growth environment of the purple magnolia in a more scientific way.

Hard work pays off. After the unremitting efforts of us and the expert team, the new batch of transplanted purple magnolia seedlings finally survived and began to thrive. Looking at the thriving scene in the greenhouse, Hanchuan and I smiled at each other, our hearts filled with joy.

A few months later, the first batch of purple magnolias finally bloomed. Looking at the crystal clear dew on the petals, emitting a dreamy brilliance in the sun, I felt that all the hard work was worth it. The successful planting of purple magnolias not only brought rich economic returns to the base, but also made Hanchuan and I gain greater recognition in the professional field.

"It seems that our planting base has to expand again." I said to Hanchuan while looking at the beautiful scenery in front of me.

Hanchuan nodded, looking into the distance with deep eyes: "It's time to meet new challenges..."

Looking at the purple magnolias in full bloom, I feel an indescribable sense of accomplishment. These flowers are not only the fruits of our hard work, but also the symbol of our beautiful hope for a better future life.

I held Bai Hanchuan's hand tightly and immersed myself in the beautiful scenery. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the petals, as if coating each flower with a layer of golden light.

"Jinli," Bai Hanchuan's low and warm voice interrupted my thoughts, "Should we go find Lin Xiao? I remember she mentioned some new ideas before. Maybe now is the time to discuss it with her."

I nodded: "Yes, her experience will definitely bring us a lot of new inspiration."

We made a quick decision and went to find Lin Xiao immediately. When we arrived at the office of the planting base, Lin Xiao was sorting out the information of a new batch of seeds. When she saw us coming in, she showed an expectant smile on her face.

"You're finally here! I was just about to discuss some new plans with you." She warmly invited us to sit down, then took out a piece of information and handed it to us.

"These are some new varieties I have studied recently, as well as some market research reports. I think the development of the base cannot just stop at these existing varieties. We need to keep innovating and introduce more high-quality species."

Bai Hanchuan carefully read the information and nodded, "You are right. We should not only grow good flowers, but also let these flowers enter as many households as possible."

“However,” I interrupted, “If we rely on just a few of us, I’m afraid it will be a bit overwhelmed. Perhaps we need to find more professional partners to jointly promote the development of this industry.”

Bai Hanchuan thought for a moment, his eyes becoming more resolute: "That's right. In fact, the botanical expert I met in college is also very interested in our project. He suggested introducing some excellent horticultural companies at home and abroad to cooperate with us. This may be a good opportunity."

Just as we were discussing our future plans, the phone suddenly rang on Lin Xiao's desk. She picked up the phone and her face gradually became solemn.

"Hello, is this Mu Jinli? I'm Professor Zhao from the Agricultural University. I just heard that your Magnolia project was very successful. Congratulations. However, I have something to remind you. Recently, some of your colleagues are very dissatisfied with your achievements and have even begun to spread some false rumors in an attempt to suppress you."

After the call was hung up, there was a brief silence in the office.

"It seems that our success has aroused the jealousy and envy of some people." I stared out the window, feeling a little worried.

Bai Hanchuan patted my shoulder gently and said, "Don't worry too much. We are on the right track, and this is a fact they cannot ignore. However, this reminds us that we must be more united and careful."

I smiled and nodded in agreement: "Yes, we need more trust and support."

In this base filled with the fragrance of flowers, we stood beside each other, with an invincible power surging in our hearts. Lin Xiao silently stretched out his hand and held ours, tightly connected, as if at this moment, our common dream and goal made us more determined.

We need to explore more opportunities for cooperation to promote the development of the flower planting industry. All this has just begun.

As the sun completely sank into the horizon, our eyes were fixed firmly on the future. At this moment, a new fire of hope was ignited in the hearts of the three of us. Faintly, it seemed that a call full of expectation was coming from afar.

"It's time to embrace new challenges..." As Bai Hanchuan whispered, the night fell quietly and a new chapter began.